Being and Meaning : Reality and Language in Bhartrhari and Heidegger/Sebastian Alackapally. Delhi, Motilal Banarsidass, 2002, xviii, 297 p., $28. ISBN 81-208-1803-2.

Contents: Foreword. General introduction. Philosophical background of Bhartrhari and Heidegger: Bhartrhari: the grammarian philosopher. Heidegger: the philosopher of being and language. 1. Sabdatattva: the ultimate reality. 2. Sabdatattva: the Sphota of language. 3. Heidegger’s concept of reality. 4. Language: the saying of being. General conclusion. Being and language in Bhartrhari and Heidegger: a synthesis. Glossary. Appendix. Bibliography. Index.

"Being and Meaning is a comparative study of the concepts of being and language in Bhartrhari and Martin Heidegger, emphasising the universality of their thinking. Language in Bhartrhari’s vision is the medium of the self-expression for the ultimate reality (Sabdatattva). In Heidegger’s thinking language is the original utterance (sage) which being speaks to man. Being expresses itself in language, and phenomena in the world occur simultaneously with the occurrence of language. Bhartrhari and Heidegger lead one to the belonging togetherness of being and being beyond all conceptualizing, transcending the bounds of orient and occident." (jacket)

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